While Mason is the younger guy with more upside, Alexander is the 4 week security blanket which whom both Stump and Zorn have known and coached his entire career. Mason has more potential for the future, but Alexander has more potential for the right this minute, which is what the coaching staff is looking for.

Granted, Alexander hasn't done much....I won't argue with that. However, I do believe Alexander's impact could be reach further than Mason's during this stretch without Ladell. I also think too that the Skins were excited about the potential a tandem like Portis and Alexander could very well be, if Alexander returns to MVP form. Not saying he will, but the case is there...

I agree with your theory, but I don't think we will ever know if SA would provide more impact then Mason. SA knows the offense, but I don't think that is a huge advantage for a running back.

I do think some people think of SA and the glory years and vision him playing like that again. We have done this many times with older superstars and so of all people we should know better by now. I think SA is an average back at best now and if Portis goes out neither him nor Mason could replace him and we would be in trouble. Mason just has the upside of youth and desire.

Portis and Betts could not get yardage with the 1st stringers. Rock could not do anything either with the 1st stringers or 2nd/3rd stringers. The OL was having a terrible time with the run blocking openning holes. So please stop with the 2nd/3rd stringers. If we are evaluating like some of you I would have to cut Portis, Betts and Rock.

It's hard to even debate a point with logic like that. Even if we go back to the preseason, and ignore what's happening right now; Portis reached 5000 yards for his career, faster than any running back EVER, and owns multiple Redskins rushing records. Betts rushed for 1100 yards in eight starts a couple years ago, and Rock is a solid #3 and an above average kick returner.

In order for Mason to make the squad, he would have had prove that he could be more valuable than Rock. When he was given the chance to perform Rock's primary function(returning kicks), he fumbled. He also had issues picking up the blitz. Peace, Mason. Good luck.

Why would ANY team hold on to a player that may or may not be a flash in the pan, with the caliber of proven football players in front of him, at his position? And even suggesting that Mason was doing things in preseason that Portis and Betts could not do is just plain ignorant.

And as far as picking up Alexander; while I'm not a big fan of it, the situation is basically a wash. A washed up MVP, or a never was... hmmm.

Running backs in the NFL take a tremendous beating. The typical life span of a NFL running back is less than five years. The drop off in production is exponential and rarely is regained. The point I've tried to make, and others as well, is Shaun Alexander is well past that point of being productive. This off-season, all 32 teams agreed with this point. If he had anything left, he wouldn't have been a free agent for so long. I know Zorn and Stump are buddies with Alexander and that's why they picked him up. He is nothing more than a warm body. Running back is a young man's position. Running back is one of the few positions a player can come straight out of college and make an immediate contribution to a team. The only reason we keep talking about Mason is he showed potential. To me, that's better than a warm body.

I have reason to believe Portis finds Alexander more valuable than Mason, even if only as a information resource.

I don't think there is much if anything that SA could teach Portis at this point in his career. If anything I would say Mason would have benefitted from Portis's knowledge which could have been beneficial in the long run.

Portis is a class act. There is nothing he says here that is surprising. You would never see Portis say 'Look I am the league rushing leader and have been great for years. There is nothing SA can teach me.'

It's hard to even debate a point with logic like that. Even if we go back to the preseason, and ignore what's happening right now; Portis reached 5000 yards for his career, faster than any running back EVER, and owns multiple Redskins rushing records. Betts rushed for 1100 yards in eight starts a couple years ago, and Rock is a solid #3 and an above average kick returner.

In order for Mason to make the squad, he would have had prove that he could be more valuable than Rock. When he was given the chance to perform Rock's primary function(returning kicks), he fumbled. He also had issues picking up the blitz. Peace, Mason. Good luck.

Why would ANY team hold on to a player that may or may not be a flash in the pan, with the caliber of proven football players in front of him, at his position? And even suggesting that Mason was doing things in preseason that Portis and Betts could not do is just plain ignorant.

And as far as picking up Alexander; while I'm not a big fan of it, the situation is basically a wash. A washed up MVP, or a never was... hmmm.

I'm not denying that Portis and Betts are not better backs then Mason. but some on here would say everything Mason has done is against 2nd/3rd stringers. I'm tired of hearing that arguement. Portis couldn't put up the yrds in the preseason with the 1st stringers. Neither could Betts. All I'm saying is our run blocking sucked and it's hard to gage a player based on what he did in preseason. Yes it's a guide for the coach's along with practice.

If SA was anywhere near being a playmaker then why did Seatle let him go. To put it in similar terms would be for us to have cut Portis when he injured his shoulder last yr. We did not cause we saw that he would be able to return and be the Portis we all know. Apparently Seatle didn't see that in SA. Neither did several teams who spoke with him over the summer. I don't doubt we picked him up solely due to the fact our coach's know him. Hell we could have brought back Riggo and got as much production from him as we did SA. Riggo not only participated in a Super Bowl he helped to win it.

Why did you mention Rocks position and Mason. I think if you put Betts back there or Portis you would have had the same results as Mason. You put someone at KR who has not played that position in a long time if he has at all and ask him to do what someone has been doing for almost 10 yrs cause he can't make it as the featured RB. Not fare. I am with you all the way on the fact he would have had to prove he was more valuable then Rock to make the team.

There's no question the three we had to start the season were the best RB's. I'm questioning the fact that when one goes down the team picks up a washed up RB who will need to learn the play calls (cause they are not the same as Seatles) and learn the supposed Gibbs running scheme which SA would not be familiar with that Zorn said he was keeping. I dissagree. I doubt the team was simply looking for a warm body. I think they obviously needed a 3rd back in case Portis went down. They obviously went with SA cause of his past record. I'm simply saying I would have picked a never was that knows the play calls and knows the running scheme vs a has been that has to take time to ..as some of you say "get in football shape", learn the play calls, and learn a whole new running scheme. but I will admit it's not fare to judge him on his 2 games either.

Oh and lastly...you mentioned or someone did Mason's fumble while while being used as a KR. I guess that's a good enough reason to let him go. Cut him for fumbling in a position he's not used to. What would you do with Betts who had a fumble in preseason while doing the position he was hired to do?

Running backs in the NFL take a tremendous beating. The typical life span of a NFL running back is less than five years. The drop off in production is exponential and rarely is regained. The point I've tried to make, and others as well, is Shaun Alexander is well past that point of being productive. This off-season, all 32 teams agreed with this point. If he had anything left, he wouldn't have been a free agent for so long. I know Zorn and Stump are buddies with Alexander and that's why they picked him up. He is nothing more than a warm body. Running back is a young man's position. Running back is one of the few positions a player can come straight out of college and make an immediate contribution to a team. The only reason we keep talking about Mason is he showed potential. To me, that's better than a warm body.

Running backs in the NFL take a tremendous beating. The typical life span of a NFL running back is less than five years. The drop off in production is exponential and rarely is regained. The point I've tried to make, and others as well, is Shaun Alexander is well past that point of being productive. This off-season, all 32 teams agreed with this point. If he had anything left, he wouldn't have been a free agent for so long. I know Zorn and Stump are buddies with Alexander and that's why they picked him up. He is nothing more than a warm body. Running back is a young man's position. Running back is one of the few positions a player can come straight out of college and make an immediate contribution to a team. The only reason we keep talking about Mason is he showed potential. To me, that's better than a warm body.

You are one smart mother fucker. You must have a PHD or some shit. I applaud your contribution to this site through that one post.

For years we were pissed about signing overaged, has been, FA's and we were pissed because we were giving up draft picks at the same time. We do the right thing for one offseason and all of a sudden the signing of 1 over aged veteran is now accecptable.

I would have thought by now that we realized that a team is built on the draft and youth, not by some "has been" who is looking for a paycheck.

All of those who thought that signing SA was a good idea have disappointed me, bcause I thought that we had realized that this sort of a thing is not always best for the team.

I understand that most will argue that we did not pay much for him, but I disagree; giving up a roster spot for a unproductive player was an expense that a winning organization should not tolerate or resort to.